Spindle tapes



June 7, 1960 w. T. MARTIN 2,939,270

SPINDLE TAPES Filed April s, 1956 IN VEIV TOR. W////am T Mu f Jig/C4. 04

147 7' WIVEYG SPINDLE TAPES William T. Martin, Cumberland, Md., asslgnor to Celanese Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 3, 1956, Ser. No. 575,812

7 Claims. (Cl. 57-104) This invention relates to textile machinery such as yarn winding and twisting devices and relates more particularly to spindle tapes employed in connection with such devices.

In one common form of device employed for the winding and twisting of yarn, a bobbin or other yarn package support is mounted on a metal spindle which is rotated at high speed by frictional contact with a driven belt, usually termed a spindle tape. The spindle tape is, in turn, driven by frictional engagement with a large drive wheel rotating on an axis which is at right angles to the axis of rotation of the spindle. As a result, during operation the spindle tape is subjected to severe twisting stresses and abrasion, and is also exposed to the detrimental action of the oils and greases used for lubricating the machine parts. A suitable spindle tape should be resistant to all of these unfavorable influences and at the same time should have excellent frictional characteristics to insure that no slippage takes place between; the spindle tape and the spindle or between the spindle tape and the drive wheel. However, the spindle tapes now available, which have suitable frictional characteristics, arenot sufiiciently resistant to wear and tend to break in service after a relatively short period of use.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a spindle tape having excellent frictional characteristics and having greatly improved service life.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and claims.

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a spindle tape woven of cellulose yarns is impregnated with a resinous copolymer comprising about 95 to 50% of vinyl acetate and correspondingly about 5 to 50% of another mono-ethylenically unsaturated ester of a carboxylic acid. Examples of such esters are dibutyl fumarate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl stearate, ethyl acrylate, dibutyl itaconate, butyl acrylate, dibutyl maleate and dioctyl fumarate. The copolymers which are most useful in the practice of this invention have molecular weights in the range of about 15,000 to 60,000 as measured by viscosity determinations of dilute solutions of the copolymer in a suitable solvent such as benzene or acetone. One very suitable copolymer contains about 20% of dibutyl fumarate and the balance vinyl acetate and has a molecular weight in the range of 20,000 to 24,000.

The woven tape is preferably made of cotton but it may also contain or be made wholly of other cellulose fibers, such as high-tenacity rayon. The tape is usually about A to 2 inches in width and is about ,4, inch to ,5 inch in thickness. It is formed into an endless belt (which may, for example, be 120 to 132 inches long) by overlapping its ends and stapling or stitching together said ends; this may be done before or after the woven tape is impregnated.

It has been found that impregnation of a spindle tape in accordance with this invention greatly increases the life of the tape. Thus, one high quality spindle tape, made of cotton and now on the market, has a service life of about 100 days. By impregnation of the same tape a product is obtained which has excellent frictional characteristics and which has a service life which is at'least double that of the unimpregnated tape.

The impregnation'of the tape maybe carried out conveniently by simply immersing the tape for a suitable period into a bath of a .latex'of the copolymer to be used and then withdrawing thetape from the bath. For ease andeconomy ofoperation, it is preferred to use a relatively fluid latex, e.g. one containing about 5 to 50% of copolymer, the balanceof said latex being water.

and minor amounts of dispersing agents. The amount of.

copolymer incorporated into the tape may suitably coma priseabout 50 to 70% of the weight of the impregnated;

tape, the balance beingthe cellulose fibers of the tape. After impregnation the tape is dried. Thus, the tape may be permitted to dry in air at room temperature or may be passed through a heated drying oven. The tapes tend to shrink during the impregnation and drying procedure and, for best reuslts, they should be stretched to their original length. This may be done after drying. The single'figure of the drawing is a view in elevation ofa portion of a textile twisting machine of conventional construction. a

Referring now to the drawing reference numeral 11 designates a spindle, adapted to be rotated rapidly, carrying a yarn package 12, on which package a yarn 13 is being wound. The yarn is fed at a constantrate by a positively driven feed roll 14, and passes from said feed roll through a stationary balloon guide 16 and then through a c-shaped traveler 17, which traveler 17 is mounted on a ring 18 supported on a vertically reciprow cating ring rail 19. ,As is well known in the art, the traveler 17 moves freely in a circular path, on the ring 18', around the package 12 and is moved up and down relative to'the of the rail- 19. p The spindle 11 is rotated about a vertical axis by a rapidly moving driven belt 21 which passes around a whorl 22 of said spindle. Power is supplied to the belt 21 by a driven wheel 23 mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis. The belt 21 makes one turn around the wheel 23 and then passes around another spindle whorl 24, which is identical with, and mounted parallel to, the whorl 22. As is common in the art, the belt 21 also passes around two other whorls identical with whorls 22 and 24, and thus serves to drive four spindles.

The following example is given to illustrate this invention further.

Example A twill-woven cotton spindle tape, 1% inches wide, about 0.038 inch thick, and 11 feet long, and having its ends spliced, with nylon sewing thread and with a 12 inch overlap, to form an endless band, is impregnated by dipping it into a bath of a latex comprising 53% of a copoly mer of 20% of di-n-butyl fumarate and of vinyl acetate; 44% of water; 0.6% of Cellosize WP-09 (comprising hydroxyethyl cellulose); and the balance comprising surface active agents including sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and water-insoluble condensates of polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide, the latex having been produced by emulsion polymerization and the polymer particles of said latex being less than 0.5 micron in size, the average particle size being about 0.3 micron. The copolymer has a molecular weight of 20,000 to 24,000. The fabric is then dried in air to produce a product containing 60% of its weight of said copolymer. The tape, which shrinks 8%-10% during the impregnation (which takes place at room temperature) and the drying, is then stretched'back to its original length. Tapes produced in this manner are employed in textile winding and twisting machines as shown in the drawing.

package 12 by the reciprocating action After 200 to ZSG d-aysJePresenting 4,800 to 6000 hours of effective operation, the tapes are removed from the machines. In contrast, identical, but unimpregnated, cotton spindle tapes jail after an average of 102 days of operation." 1 It is to" be" understood that the foregoing detailed description is merely given by 'way'of illustration and that many" variations may-be made therein'without departing fr orn the spirit oirmy-invention. l-Iaving described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patentisr- V I. In a wind'g apparatus comprising a spindle, a drive wheel anda spindle ta eZoperatiVeIY 'cQnnecting' said drive wheeland said'spindle, "fin-improved spindle tape ornprisin'g a woven cellulose fabric impregnated with aresin'ous' copolymer of; about 50 to 95% of vinyl acetate andabout" 5 toG% of anothermonO-tethylenicallynm a saturated 'es'ter of a' karboxylic acid.

I 2; In a winding appara s'. o mp1 '1sin g' a spindle, a drive wheel and aspindle "tape opefatively connecting said drive wheel and said spindlefan improved spindle tape; comprising a woven cellulose 'fabric' impregnated with Ina yarn winding andtwisting apparatus comprising, a drive wheel, a plurality of spindles each having a resinous copolymer of ahoiit jfl to of vinyl acetate and about 5 to 50% ofanother -mono-ethylenically un- Sa u ted e ter qfe 9ar Q2iY a id '15- 1 7 Ya wi i ia an tWiSfiefanParatus, EOQP 'i i a drive Wheel, a plurality of spindles .each having a whorl and each rotating on, an axis at right anglesto the axis of said drivewhe'e'l, and a spindle tape engaging said drive wheel and said whgrls to transmit pgwer'irom said wheel to said spindles, an improved spindle tape comprising a woven cotton fabric impregnated with a resinousncopolyrner of about 50 to 95 of vinylracetate and about 5 toj-50% of dibutyl fumarate, said copo'lym'er' constituting about-50 m 70% of the weight of the impregnate'd"fabric. 75 In a winding apparatus comprising a spindle,'a drive wheel and a "spindle" tape operatively'connecting said a resinous c polymer of about 50 to 95% "of vinyl acetate and about 5 to 50% of dibutyl fumarate.

' 3. In a wind ng apparatus CQIIlPl'l ng a splndle, a drive wheel and a spindle tape operatively connecting said drive wheel and said spindle, an improved spindle tape comprising a woven cellulose fabric impregnated with a.

resinous copolymer of about-501d 95% ofi vinyl acetate and about 5 to50%' of another monorethylenically 1111a saturated ester of a ,carboxylic acid, said copglymepggm fabri v r r I t In a ind ng ap arent s n iri l n l leeslr te W l d a ii fi ri orsre v i h' Qfin ai dd, w and s d s ndle ta e im F r 1 end ess n sb a sin at re e qs jqle ie abr c mprs aates win;

to 10%by weight or 'thein pregi yfiazi be t '59 7 b wei ht 9 the jrjm tegt tei drive'wheeland said spindle, an improved woven spindle I tape'about to 2 inches wide and abou 4210 756 inch thick comprising cotton fibers impregnated with a resinous copolymef of about to 95% of vinyl acetate and about 5 to 50% of dibutyl fumarate, said copolymer constituting about 50 to'70%'by weight of the lin pregnated fabric, the service life of said tapebeing at least double that of identical unini'pregnatted tapefi' new caster in t file Qttni pa e STATES 289 784. I Ap 1 18 8 Z 2$ 98n 7 eb- 0 53 72 1 2 2 'Feb- 55 72 715,590, Au 516, 1955 1.2,758A3? 5. A ia 4 19 awai s. n s a s r- 1 FOREIGN: PATENTS $31 ,413

' G at Bit-r m er is, L246 

1. IN A WINDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A SPINDLE, A DRIVE WHEEL AND A SPINDLE TAPE OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID 